Scan barcode
A review by julies_cupsoftea
Beasts of a Little Land by Juhea Kim
5.0
Beasts of a Little Land is an exquisite piece of work that engages all of your senses with its florid writing, intimate characters, and gratifying loyalty to history. The story spans multiple decades, starting from Japan's annexation of Korea at the dawn of the 20th century up to the post-civil war era under a pro-American, anti-Communist dictatorial regime in the 1960s. It's as much about the brutal and dehumanizing colonization that Koreans suffered through as it is about love and the unfortunate, heartbreaking crisscrossing of inyeon, an almost spiritual connection that draws one's life into another. I was a bit skeptical when I saw the word 'courtesan' in the description and worried that it would be another repetition of the "sex worker who finds love" trope that I find too often in books based on this period. I was obviously wrong seeing that I finished the book curled up in bed with a tear (or two) in my eyes.
This book is utterly, unapologetically, obstinately Korean. For that, I am grateful to the author. The sentimentality of generational han underpinning every desperate claw for a chance to feel human, the mesmerizing colors and smells that envelop the land's earth, sky, and mountains, the somber "it is what it is" attitude that sustained battle-worn, oppression-torn people. Kim traverses every nook and cranny of Korea, not as the divided nation we know of now but as the people and land it once was, from Pyongyang to Jejudo, before avaricious forces demanded each of their own pieces. It's so beautifully written, so painstakingly remembered. It's embarrassing to admit that even though I had grown up learning Korean history in school, I had never realized the enormity of time that saturated this period with suffering, loss, and mourning.
Kim sends subtle nods to Korean history throughout the book, from the prominence of the Andong-Kim family and the creation myth of Ung-nyeo to the March 1st Movement and Ahn Jung-geun's assassination of Ito Hirobumi at Harbin, without shoving pedantic facts down your throat. You would think that the author would be trying to do too much by packing in half a century's history, but no. The story was told with such magical and rich detail that some of my favorite lines had nothing to do with the characters but everything to do with conjuring up the tactical sensations of the time. I wish I could read the book all over again just to feel the same waves of excitement, disappointment, and yearning for unrealized inyeons.
I really hope this book takes off and reaches a wider audience. Feeling incredibly grateful for such a hopeful story brimming with love and longing.
Thank you to the publisher for making this ARC available through Netgalley.
This book is utterly, unapologetically, obstinately Korean. For that, I am grateful to the author. The sentimentality of generational han underpinning every desperate claw for a chance to feel human, the mesmerizing colors and smells that envelop the land's earth, sky, and mountains, the somber "it is what it is" attitude that sustained battle-worn, oppression-torn people. Kim traverses every nook and cranny of Korea, not as the divided nation we know of now but as the people and land it once was, from Pyongyang to Jejudo, before avaricious forces demanded each of their own pieces. It's so beautifully written, so painstakingly remembered. It's embarrassing to admit that even though I had grown up learning Korean history in school, I had never realized the enormity of time that saturated this period with suffering, loss, and mourning.
Kim sends subtle nods to Korean history throughout the book, from the prominence of the Andong-Kim family and the creation myth of Ung-nyeo to the March 1st Movement and Ahn Jung-geun's assassination of Ito Hirobumi at Harbin, without shoving pedantic facts down your throat. You would think that the author would be trying to do too much by packing in half a century's history, but no. The story was told with such magical and rich detail that some of my favorite lines had nothing to do with the characters but everything to do with conjuring up the tactical sensations of the time. I wish I could read the book all over again just to feel the same waves of excitement, disappointment, and yearning for unrealized inyeons.
I really hope this book takes off and reaches a wider audience. Feeling incredibly grateful for such a hopeful story brimming with love and longing.
Thank you to the publisher for making this ARC available through Netgalley.